New Year's Goals 2010

Posted by Betsy

Last year I wrote a post about making New Year's goals as opposed to New Year's resolutions. This year, I thought I'd post some of my personal goals for this year (and the goals of our family). I like to keep it simple: 1-3 goals per category. We focus on the most important/desired outcomes.

A Key Theme for me here is to use what I have, keep it simple, and focus on the important stuff. We could reorganize our house and buy lots of new organizing stuff in the process... or use what we have. I could buy new clothes, or lose 5 pounds and gain an existing closet-ful of stuff I already like. I could reinvent the wheel with a new Bible-reading plan, but I'm going to stick to the homework for my group Bible study for now (since it gets me into the Word 6 days a week!). Etc.

Spiritual:

• pray DAILY
• read Westminster Confession and study guide with my friend Sarah D.
• keep up with my group Bible study (this spring, we're doing Esther and then James)

Health/Fitness:

• exercise 2x a week
• lose 5 pounds (last year, I lost 7. Surely I can lose the last 5 this year!!!)

Household:

• Basic chores done weekly: trash emptied, bathrooms cleaned, floors swept/vacuumed
• Key surfaces kept clear (dresser, dining room table, desk, kitchen counters, entry way table). This is a biggie for me, folks.
• Maintain habits begun in 2009: kitchen completely cleaned every night (all dishes put away, etc.), laundry day, etc.

Office/Budget:

• Schedule all bills/pay everything in full by due date (no minimum payments here!)
• Pay off one of the two remaining loans we have (one is a student loan and one a car loan)
• Acquire better life insurance

Personal:

• Simplify: work on having only what we like/enjoy and getting rid of the rest!
• Figure out school plans for me (and get applications in/gain acceptance if appropriate)*
• Read 10 new books--all from my own bookshelves (we have lots I've never read)

Family:

• activity/event once a month (this can be raking leaves together; we're not talking about a big trip)
• get outside (all of us) every day that weather permits!
• all of us sitting through church together by year-end (boys are still in nursery)

Kids:

• Work on memory! (review catechism, learn some new ones, and memorize verses from Sunday School and Bible study)
• 1 art/creative activity a week
• get outside!!

Hobbies/Crafts:

• Photo books for 2009 and 2010
• Finish sewing projects I've already committed to.... (ahem...)
• Keep it simple.... (i.e. look in my own cookbooks for recipes before spending forever browsing online for the perfect recipe... plant only what I really want to eat/harvest in the garden--and not feel the need to fill up the entire gardening space.... )